How to Pronounce Specific Phobia
Definition, meaning, and phonetic spelling
Specific Phobia Pronunciation
speh-SIF-ik FOH-bee-ah
Stressed syllable in ALL CAPS · hyphens separate syllables
Syllable Breakdown
speh
SIF
stress here
ik FOH
bee
ah
5 syllables
What is Specific Phobia?
A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder. It is a strong, irrational fear of something that poses little or no real danger. There are many specific phobias. Acrophobia is a fear of heights. Agoraphobia is a fear of public places, and claustrophobia is ...
Definition sourced from MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine
Questions About Specific Phobia
How do you pronounce 'specific phobia'?
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Say it like this: speh-SIF-ik FOH-bee-ah. The stress falls on the second syllable of 'specific' (SIF) and the first syllable of 'phobia' (FOH). Think of it as saying 'spuh-SIF-ik' for the first word, then 'FOH-bee-uh' for the second.
What is the correct syllable breakdown for 'specific phobia'?
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Break it into four syllables: spe-CIF-ic PHO-bia. The word 'specific' has three syllables, and 'phobia' has two syllables. When you say them together, you get four stressed and unstressed beats.
Which syllable gets the stress in 'specific phobia'?
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The stress falls on 'SIF' in 'specific' and 'FOH' in 'phobia'—so you emphasize the second and third syllables overall. A common mistake is stressing the first syllable of 'specific' (saying SPEC-if-ic), but the correct stress is on the second syllable.
What does 'phobia' mean?
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The word 'phobia' comes from Greek and means 'fear of' or 'intense fear.' It's used in many medical terms to describe strong, persistent fears—like arachnophobia (fear of spiders) or claustrophobia (fear of small spaces).
What does 'specific' mean in 'specific phobia'?
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In this phrase, 'specific' means the fear is directed at one particular thing or situation, not everything in general. For example, a specific phobia might be a fear of dogs or heights, not a fear of many different things.
How would you use 'specific phobia' in a simple sentence?
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You might say: 'Her doctor explained that her intense fear of flying is called a specific phobia.' Or: 'A specific phobia is when someone is very afraid of one particular thing, like needles or snakes.'
What other words use the root 'phobia'?
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Many medical and everyday words use 'phobia' in the same way: agoraphobia (fear of open spaces), social phobia (fear of social situations), and zoophobia (fear of animals). All of these follow the same pattern of naming a specific fear.
Is there a short way to write 'specific phobia'?
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It's usually written out as 'specific phobia' in full, but you might see it abbreviated as 'SP' in medical writing. However, the full term is more commonly used in everyday conversation and explanation.